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Floating Hotel
This cozy debut science fiction novel tells a story of misfits, rebels, found family—and a mystery that spans the stars
Welcome to the Grand Abeona home of the finest food, the sweetest service, and the very best views the galaxy has to offer. All year round it moves from planet to planet, system to system, pampering guests across the furthest reaches of the milky way. The last word in sub-orbital luxury—and an absolute magnet for intrigue. Intrigues such Why are there love poems in the lobby inbox? How many Imperial spies are currently on board? What is the true purpose of the Problem Solver’s conference? And perhaps most pertinently— who is driving the ship?
Each guest has a secret, every member of staff a universe unto themselves. At the center of these interweaving lives and interlocking mysteries stands Carl, one time stowaway, longtime manager, devoted caretaker to the hotel. It’s the love of his life and the only place he’s ever called home. But as forces beyond Carl’s comprehension converge on the Abeona, he has to face one final when is it time to let go?
Welcome to the Grand Abeona home of the finest food, the sweetest service, and the very best views the galaxy has to offer. All year round it moves from planet to planet, system to system, pampering guests across the furthest reaches of the milky way. The last word in sub-orbital luxury—and an absolute magnet for intrigue. Intrigues such Why are there love poems in the lobby inbox? How many Imperial spies are currently on board? What is the true purpose of the Problem Solver’s conference? And perhaps most pertinently— who is driving the ship?
Each guest has a secret, every member of staff a universe unto themselves. At the center of these interweaving lives and interlocking mysteries stands Carl, one time stowaway, longtime manager, devoted caretaker to the hotel. It’s the love of his life and the only place he’s ever called home. But as forces beyond Carl’s comprehension converge on the Abeona, he has to face one final when is it time to let go?
304 pages, Paperback
First published March 19, 2024
636 people are currently reading
28474 people want to read
About the author
Grace Curtis
5 books295 followersAuthor of FRONTIER, FLOATING HOTEL and IDOLFIRE. Up next: HEAVEN'S GRAVEYARD.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,227 reviews
November 4, 2024
You're gonna fly away / Glad you're goin' my way (Cruisin’ – Smokey Robinson).
Hi there, long time no see! Or at least if feels that way because I’m realizing that I've probably forgotten how to read due to the fact that my weekend has been entirely consumed by Dragon Age: The Veilguard (#ad #sponsored)! It’s wild because the game is currently being “review bombed” (meaning randos leaving purposefully bad reviews so the average rating goes real low to the floor) because the angriest dudes on the planet think the game is too “woke.” There’s a non-binary character in the game, and now apparently the weirdest guy you know feels the need to spend all of his time going on YouTube and yelling at people for playing the game? Man, that’s sad. It’s also sad because I can see how this poisoned mindset is starting to affect the opinions of the people who were looking forward to the game! They’ll be saying shit like “Yeah sure, the game might be too woke, but if you can ignore that, then it’s actually, maybe, kind of, sort of… fun!” as if that weren't the most pathetically flaccid way of saying, “I think I like it, but I need other people to tell me what to think, so I don’t know yet!” So~oo brave! Anyway, what’s my point? I don’t know, I guess I just wanted to talk about Dragon Age: The Veilguard because I like it and it’s fun (#ad #sponsored), but also, it’s important to note that I’m enjoying the game because it’s woke, not despite it. Got to "stay woke," like the song said. Yeah well, I figured I’d take a break from being exposed to all of these manufactured “culture wars” and get back into my favorite pastime of reading! And the best thing about reading is that it’s solitary. Aaah peace and quiet, so nice! Taking a break from playing my woke fantasy to read a woke Sci-fi. Okay, I’ll stop saying “woke” now, because it doesn’t even sound like a real word anymore. What I’m getting at is that it’s interesting how different the landscapes are for different forms of expressions, as in the gaming world, people can’t even handle when there are gay people or people of color in their precious video game, while in literature, the sheer diversity of the story and the characters that inhabit the Floating Hotel, this book, are not only a few of its greatest strengths, but also its biggest selling points. But here’s the thing, I’m a huge fan of Science Fiction… as long as it’s not in book form. I love the Alien movies (yes, even Alien: Covenant), Mass Effect, Metroid, Futurama, hell, I even liked Starfield! But whenever I get a craving for a Sci-Fi book, my mind immediately imagines something like an Enders Game and any interest I might have had shrivels up like a pumpkin on November 3rd. I don’t know why, I really don’t. Unfortunately, for the most part, I think this book was mostly the same in that area. You know how when you’re showing your friend your favorite movie and they’re kind of disinterested and they keep missing all the big plot revelations because they keep glancing at their phones? Well, I was that friend for a good chunk of this book. I’m the problem! But hey, I didn’t give up on it, that’s got to count for something, right?
Nonetheless, let me see if I can talk myself into liking this book. My main problem here was the fact that because we switch up the POV characters every chapter, it was kind of hard for me to grasp what was going on a lot of the time. It’s like Let it Snow all over again! The first story being good, the John Green one being mid, and then the third story being a blight on literature as a whole! Too varying for my tastes. Like, there were certain story-lines in Floating Hotel that I wanted to learn more about (like the alien one), only for the chapter to end and we’d move on to the boring spy story. Ugh. But at least this book had one author, so the writing stayed consistently fantastic throughout. Besides, here’s the thing, I wanted to like Floating Hotel, and sometimes when you pretend to like something for long enough, you actually end up liking it for real. And eventually that’s what happened here. Yay! Belated synopsis time? Okay. The basic story is that we follow the titular floating hotel, the Grand Abeona; a remnant of past human explorative optimism that now serves more as an allegory of one of those shitty cruise tickets you’d win while gambling. But what makes this specific hotel special isn’t that it can travel to infinity and beyond, but because of the interesting people that always seem to inhabit the hotel at any given time. From what I can understand, the story is sometimes about a jewel heist, a spy mission, a hidden resistance group fighting against an oppressive empire, and an “ice-breaker” work activity accidentally uncovering aliens trying to communicate with us. If this whole thing sounds like I’m literally piecing it together right now, it’s because I am. Ha ha! Damn, I can’t spark-notes this one. Can somebody go out and read this book real quick and make a clickbait YouTube video explaining beat-by-beat exactly what was going on and maybe a rundown of the themes? Thanks in advance! Anyway, sorry for ranting about video games for… oh my… this entire review, but I do think there’s an interesting comparison to be made between grifters who make their living spreading misery and organizing hate mobs against any work of art with even a dash of queerness and how Floating Hotel depicts its universe. In the story, society has progressed to the point where people can literally travel among the stars as a luxury, and yet nothing has really changed all that much. I mean, everything is still so fucked. Underneath all the quirkiness, there's something broken here. It’s really sad. And yet, I think there’s something deeply moving and deeply melancholic how this book portrays a found family of outcasts, queer or otherwise, who decided to create their own home carved out of the stars. Sounds familiar, huh? It did to me. I guess in some ways, we all need to find our own floating hotel somewhere out there. …Hey, it worked! I like this book now!!
“An Empire is a tricky thing to dismantle.”
Hi there, long time no see! Or at least if feels that way because I’m realizing that I've probably forgotten how to read due to the fact that my weekend has been entirely consumed by Dragon Age: The Veilguard (#ad #sponsored)! It’s wild because the game is currently being “review bombed” (meaning randos leaving purposefully bad reviews so the average rating goes real low to the floor) because the angriest dudes on the planet think the game is too “woke.” There’s a non-binary character in the game, and now apparently the weirdest guy you know feels the need to spend all of his time going on YouTube and yelling at people for playing the game? Man, that’s sad. It’s also sad because I can see how this poisoned mindset is starting to affect the opinions of the people who were looking forward to the game! They’ll be saying shit like “Yeah sure, the game might be too woke, but if you can ignore that, then it’s actually, maybe, kind of, sort of… fun!” as if that weren't the most pathetically flaccid way of saying, “I think I like it, but I need other people to tell me what to think, so I don’t know yet!” So~oo brave! Anyway, what’s my point? I don’t know, I guess I just wanted to talk about Dragon Age: The Veilguard because I like it and it’s fun (#ad #sponsored), but also, it’s important to note that I’m enjoying the game because it’s woke, not despite it. Got to "stay woke," like the song said. Yeah well, I figured I’d take a break from being exposed to all of these manufactured “culture wars” and get back into my favorite pastime of reading! And the best thing about reading is that it’s solitary. Aaah peace and quiet, so nice! Taking a break from playing my woke fantasy to read a woke Sci-fi. Okay, I’ll stop saying “woke” now, because it doesn’t even sound like a real word anymore. What I’m getting at is that it’s interesting how different the landscapes are for different forms of expressions, as in the gaming world, people can’t even handle when there are gay people or people of color in their precious video game, while in literature, the sheer diversity of the story and the characters that inhabit the Floating Hotel, this book, are not only a few of its greatest strengths, but also its biggest selling points. But here’s the thing, I’m a huge fan of Science Fiction… as long as it’s not in book form. I love the Alien movies (yes, even Alien: Covenant), Mass Effect, Metroid, Futurama, hell, I even liked Starfield! But whenever I get a craving for a Sci-Fi book, my mind immediately imagines something like an Enders Game and any interest I might have had shrivels up like a pumpkin on November 3rd. I don’t know why, I really don’t. Unfortunately, for the most part, I think this book was mostly the same in that area. You know how when you’re showing your friend your favorite movie and they’re kind of disinterested and they keep missing all the big plot revelations because they keep glancing at their phones? Well, I was that friend for a good chunk of this book. I’m the problem! But hey, I didn’t give up on it, that’s got to count for something, right?
Nonetheless, let me see if I can talk myself into liking this book. My main problem here was the fact that because we switch up the POV characters every chapter, it was kind of hard for me to grasp what was going on a lot of the time. It’s like Let it Snow all over again! The first story being good, the John Green one being mid, and then the third story being a blight on literature as a whole! Too varying for my tastes. Like, there were certain story-lines in Floating Hotel that I wanted to learn more about (like the alien one), only for the chapter to end and we’d move on to the boring spy story. Ugh. But at least this book had one author, so the writing stayed consistently fantastic throughout. Besides, here’s the thing, I wanted to like Floating Hotel, and sometimes when you pretend to like something for long enough, you actually end up liking it for real. And eventually that’s what happened here. Yay! Belated synopsis time? Okay. The basic story is that we follow the titular floating hotel, the Grand Abeona; a remnant of past human explorative optimism that now serves more as an allegory of one of those shitty cruise tickets you’d win while gambling. But what makes this specific hotel special isn’t that it can travel to infinity and beyond, but because of the interesting people that always seem to inhabit the hotel at any given time. From what I can understand, the story is sometimes about a jewel heist, a spy mission, a hidden resistance group fighting against an oppressive empire, and an “ice-breaker” work activity accidentally uncovering aliens trying to communicate with us. If this whole thing sounds like I’m literally piecing it together right now, it’s because I am. Ha ha! Damn, I can’t spark-notes this one. Can somebody go out and read this book real quick and make a clickbait YouTube video explaining beat-by-beat exactly what was going on and maybe a rundown of the themes? Thanks in advance! Anyway, sorry for ranting about video games for… oh my… this entire review, but I do think there’s an interesting comparison to be made between grifters who make their living spreading misery and organizing hate mobs against any work of art with even a dash of queerness and how Floating Hotel depicts its universe. In the story, society has progressed to the point where people can literally travel among the stars as a luxury, and yet nothing has really changed all that much. I mean, everything is still so fucked. Underneath all the quirkiness, there's something broken here. It’s really sad. And yet, I think there’s something deeply moving and deeply melancholic how this book portrays a found family of outcasts, queer or otherwise, who decided to create their own home carved out of the stars. Sounds familiar, huh? It did to me. I guess in some ways, we all need to find our own floating hotel somewhere out there. …Hey, it worked! I like this book now!!
“An Empire is a tricky thing to dismantle.”
November 28, 2025
☆☆☆☆
Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis is an atmospheric, quietly beautiful novel that thrives on mood and reflection more than traditional storytelling. The setting, a drifting, semi-magical hotel, is wonderfully imagined and feels like a character in itself, floating through time and space with a kind of wistful grace.
At times, the book feels like no plot, just vibes, especially in the first half. It meanders through moments and memories, focusing more on characters’ inner lives and the poetic rhythm of their surroundings than on driving the story forward. And honestly, I didn’t mind as it was soothing and immersive. Then, surprisingly, a mystery plot line begins to take shape midway through, adding a new layer of intrigue that I didn’t see coming. It gave the narrative more shape without disrupting its dreamy tone.
I’ll admit there were parts I didn’t entirely understand, but I felt like that was part of the design, like not everything is meant to be clear. The ambiguity adds to the novel’s dreamy, slightly surreal quality, where emotion often matters more than clarity.
While it’s not fast-paced or tightly plotted, Floating Hotel offers a unique, lingering experience. If you’re into reflective, character-driven fiction with a touch of the uncanny and don’t mind a slow start, this is a lovely, rewarding read.
Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis is an atmospheric, quietly beautiful novel that thrives on mood and reflection more than traditional storytelling. The setting, a drifting, semi-magical hotel, is wonderfully imagined and feels like a character in itself, floating through time and space with a kind of wistful grace.
At times, the book feels like no plot, just vibes, especially in the first half. It meanders through moments and memories, focusing more on characters’ inner lives and the poetic rhythm of their surroundings than on driving the story forward. And honestly, I didn’t mind as it was soothing and immersive. Then, surprisingly, a mystery plot line begins to take shape midway through, adding a new layer of intrigue that I didn’t see coming. It gave the narrative more shape without disrupting its dreamy tone.
I’ll admit there were parts I didn’t entirely understand, but I felt like that was part of the design, like not everything is meant to be clear. The ambiguity adds to the novel’s dreamy, slightly surreal quality, where emotion often matters more than clarity.
While it’s not fast-paced or tightly plotted, Floating Hotel offers a unique, lingering experience. If you’re into reflective, character-driven fiction with a touch of the uncanny and don’t mind a slow start, this is a lovely, rewarding read.
January 12, 2024
What a fun read to kick off the new year! Each chapter of Floating Hotel features a different passenger or crew member on board the hulking Grand Abeona Hotel as it saunters through the galaxy and Grace Curtis paints vivid portraits of the ragtag cadre of characters. While spending limited time with and shifting through each person’s perspective may be disorienting for some, there is a captivating mystery at the core of the book that provides a compelling thread connecting each distinct section.
The tone of the book vibrates on a similar frequency as Josiah Bancroft’s “Books of Babel” series — there are airships, class divides, a dash of whimsy, and a hodgepodge of peculiar characters, each aboard the vessel for a different reason.
There were some deliciously dark details that might make some question the “cozy” genre classification, but the story and characters exude charm, Curtis’s writing flows beautifully, and I raced through each chapter until reaching the final page. All in all, I greatly enjoyed my time spent aboard the Grand Abeona Hotel.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
See this review and others at The Speculative Shelf and follow @specshelf on Twitter and @thespeculativeshelf on Instagram.
The tone of the book vibrates on a similar frequency as Josiah Bancroft’s “Books of Babel” series — there are airships, class divides, a dash of whimsy, and a hodgepodge of peculiar characters, each aboard the vessel for a different reason.
There were some deliciously dark details that might make some question the “cozy” genre classification, but the story and characters exude charm, Curtis’s writing flows beautifully, and I raced through each chapter until reaching the final page. All in all, I greatly enjoyed my time spent aboard the Grand Abeona Hotel.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
See this review and others at The Speculative Shelf and follow @specshelf on Twitter and @thespeculativeshelf on Instagram.
March 23, 2024
"Cozy" is code for "boring" in this intergalactic romp.
I had high hopes going in, but they were quickly dashed at the quarter mark. Every chapter is written from a new character's POV. It's supposed to build the idea of the crew being a found family, but at most, they seemed to tolerate each other. I would barely get a grasp of a character's past life and future ambitions before the chapter ended, moving on to someone I couldn't care less about.
The author tried to build a plot between the character's stories, but it was a half-baked storyline. The hints at rebels and secretive groups were just that. Hints. The author was too busy introducing a whole character in a ten-minute chapter for the plot to be held up consistently.
This story could have been a great addition to the cozy sci-fi world if it had focused on either fleshed-out well-written characters, or a crazy intergalactic spy organization hiding in plain sight with few key characters trying to flush them out. Instead, the author tried to fit both and ended up with a forgettable novel.
Thank you, NetGalley and DAW, for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
I had high hopes going in, but they were quickly dashed at the quarter mark. Every chapter is written from a new character's POV. It's supposed to build the idea of the crew being a found family, but at most, they seemed to tolerate each other. I would barely get a grasp of a character's past life and future ambitions before the chapter ended, moving on to someone I couldn't care less about.
The author tried to build a plot between the character's stories, but it was a half-baked storyline. The hints at rebels and secretive groups were just that. Hints. The author was too busy introducing a whole character in a ten-minute chapter for the plot to be held up consistently.
This story could have been a great addition to the cozy sci-fi world if it had focused on either fleshed-out well-written characters, or a crazy intergalactic spy organization hiding in plain sight with few key characters trying to flush them out. Instead, the author tried to fit both and ended up with a forgettable novel.
Thank you, NetGalley and DAW, for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
December 22, 2023
A book with its heart in the right place and good intentions. Ultimately, it tries to do too much, but I still ended up enjoying it.
There is Abeona, a hotel-shaped oasis in an evil (of course it’s evil) Galactic Empire.
“Not for Abeona were the sharply curled edges of a gilt pedestal, the bone-bruising hardness of a veined marble floor, sallow gold and lace trim. … It looked like something somebody loved.”
Here are the guests and the employees with their backstories, and here are those who would rebel against the Empire. It starts off cozy. Come and follow Carl the manager (who is too nice to have this job, if you ask me); Uwade at the reception (good backstory); Dunk the sous-chef (“People sometimes asked Dunk what he’d be of he wasn’t a chef. … “Easy,” he’d say. “I’d be dead.”); Acad the grumpy linguistics professor; Ooly the math genius with bad social skills (such a cliché, but the author makes it work) etc etc etc. There is some Shakespeare and other poetry that made me smile in happy recognition. There are movie nights. The plot veers off into darker territory quite fast, though. Increased reading speed detected!
My problem was too many POV’s, all the characters hardly had space to breathe, so some were more well-written than others. I wasn’t impressed with the undercover agents’ chapters, for example. There were too many stories in one book, too many themes. We spent too little time on the big reveal and I had to suspend disbelief a couple of times. But there were brilliant scenes, passages, conversations, and a life-affirming ending.
3.7 encouraging stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-book!
There is Abeona, a hotel-shaped oasis in an evil (of course it’s evil) Galactic Empire.
“Not for Abeona were the sharply curled edges of a gilt pedestal, the bone-bruising hardness of a veined marble floor, sallow gold and lace trim. … It looked like something somebody loved.”
Here are the guests and the employees with their backstories, and here are those who would rebel against the Empire. It starts off cozy. Come and follow Carl the manager (who is too nice to have this job, if you ask me); Uwade at the reception (good backstory); Dunk the sous-chef (“People sometimes asked Dunk what he’d be of he wasn’t a chef. … “Easy,” he’d say. “I’d be dead.”); Acad the grumpy linguistics professor; Ooly the math genius with bad social skills (such a cliché, but the author makes it work) etc etc etc. There is some Shakespeare and other poetry that made me smile in happy recognition. There are movie nights. The plot veers off into darker territory quite fast, though. Increased reading speed detected!
My problem was too many POV’s, all the characters hardly had space to breathe, so some were more well-written than others. I wasn’t impressed with the undercover agents’ chapters, for example. There were too many stories in one book, too many themes. We spent too little time on the big reveal and I had to suspend disbelief a couple of times. But there were brilliant scenes, passages, conversations, and a life-affirming ending.
3.7 encouraging stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-book!
March 28, 2024
3.5 Stars
Video Review: https://youtu.be/nOaOLBiqSXw
This was such a cute science fiction novel. The idea of the floating hotel was a wonderful idea. While written as a novel, this read more like interwoven short stories exploring vignettes. I liked this one, but I did not find the narratives to be particularly gripping or memorable.
I would recommend this one to readers looking for a cozy, slice of life space opera in the vein of the Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Video Review: https://youtu.be/nOaOLBiqSXw
This was such a cute science fiction novel. The idea of the floating hotel was a wonderful idea. While written as a novel, this read more like interwoven short stories exploring vignettes. I liked this one, but I did not find the narratives to be particularly gripping or memorable.
I would recommend this one to readers looking for a cozy, slice of life space opera in the vein of the Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Read
January 7, 2025A cosy space story with more character than plot. These very much depend on how much you click with the characters, eg The Galaxy, and the Ground Within has virtually no plot and left me in floods of tears. This one didn't work for me, which I regret as I would love a Grand Babylon Hotel or even an Imperial Hotel in space.
Read
June 6, 2025From the bottom of my heart: I hate this book.
No rating because I appreciate how much work the author has put into this. It is well written and it is a complex story with many different characters.
BUT, oh my goodness. It is a more or less pointless stringing together of the stories of some of the characters who are sailing through space on this hotel ship.
Each of these stories is interesting in its own right, and I would have liked to learn more about each person here and there.
But I was so booooooored and annoyed.
Every time I got into something, the chapter ended and it jumped to the next person. And no, the thread from there wasn't picked up again. Every now and then there were a few overlaps and something resembling a plot was discernible.
But it was just frustrating to read.
It took me five weeks to finish, and I only did so because I paid for it (seriously, does GR deliberately include these expensive books in their reading challenges?)
Anyway, I don't get why this is science fiction. The hotel could be anywhere else, and the little bit of sci-fi you get here is a joke.
And the ending... seriously????!!!!! That's supposed to be the ending? It was so horribly boring.
I always try to find something good in every book because I'm not a fan of writing totally negative reviews, and I love reading, even if it's not a perfect experience, but this was simply one of the worst experiences I've ever had, and I've read some really bad books. This one isn't really bad, as I said, it's well written, but the story was sooooo... baaaaaah.
So, I'm going to go back to the wonderful book I'm currently reading and try to forget about this one.
No rating because I appreciate how much work the author has put into this. It is well written and it is a complex story with many different characters.
BUT, oh my goodness. It is a more or less pointless stringing together of the stories of some of the characters who are sailing through space on this hotel ship.
Each of these stories is interesting in its own right, and I would have liked to learn more about each person here and there.
But I was so booooooored and annoyed.
Every time I got into something, the chapter ended and it jumped to the next person. And no, the thread from there wasn't picked up again. Every now and then there were a few overlaps and something resembling a plot was discernible.
But it was just frustrating to read.
It took me five weeks to finish, and I only did so because I paid for it (seriously, does GR deliberately include these expensive books in their reading challenges?)
Anyway, I don't get why this is science fiction. The hotel could be anywhere else, and the little bit of sci-fi you get here is a joke.
And the ending... seriously????!!!!! That's supposed to be the ending? It was so horribly boring.
I always try to find something good in every book because I'm not a fan of writing totally negative reviews, and I love reading, even if it's not a perfect experience, but this was simply one of the worst experiences I've ever had, and I've read some really bad books. This one isn't really bad, as I said, it's well written, but the story was sooooo... baaaaaah.
So, I'm going to go back to the wonderful book I'm currently reading and try to forget about this one.
April 2, 2024
even though i know i don’t like cozy fantasy i thought i might give cozy scifi a try. unfortunately this didn’t really work for me either, like always i just found it boring. i think if you’re going to do a cozy book you should make it a novella at least. anyway this kinda reminded me of doctor who a bit which i did think was fun
March 7, 2024
A cozy lil space story with some excellent characters.
Somehow got from this exactly what I expected? It was a story about various random people in a hotel floating in space. I liked the chill vibe, to be honest. It was calm sci-fi - not something I've really experienced before!
Essentially, all of these characters have a past that led them to this floating hotel. Most are staff, escaping various things, but there are a few regulars as well who round out the story quite well.
I liked that each character's view progressed the story in its own way. There's no real jumping back and forth; the story marches steadily on, gaining greater insight into the players as we go.
No hectic terminology or wildly deep ideas. Just a soft lil space adventure featuring a bunch of misfits.
I do think things could have been a little more thrilling, but as it is I still enjoyed getting to know the characters and their stories. There were still plenty of moments that kept me invested in these people, the hotel, and the collective future of all.
With thanks to Netgalley for an e-ARC
Somehow got from this exactly what I expected? It was a story about various random people in a hotel floating in space. I liked the chill vibe, to be honest. It was calm sci-fi - not something I've really experienced before!
Essentially, all of these characters have a past that led them to this floating hotel. Most are staff, escaping various things, but there are a few regulars as well who round out the story quite well.
I liked that each character's view progressed the story in its own way. There's no real jumping back and forth; the story marches steadily on, gaining greater insight into the players as we go.
No hectic terminology or wildly deep ideas. Just a soft lil space adventure featuring a bunch of misfits.
I do think things could have been a little more thrilling, but as it is I still enjoyed getting to know the characters and their stories. There were still plenty of moments that kept me invested in these people, the hotel, and the collective future of all.
With thanks to Netgalley for an e-ARC
July 25, 2025
Something new!
You know those science fiction novels in which there are four point-of-view characters, and each character gets point of view for a chapter, then we move on to the next? (I think Gibson's Cyberspace trilogy was the first time I really noticed it.) You know how you never know quite what's going on, and it's all very confusing? Well, in Floating Hotel Grace Curtis takes it to the max, and SOMEHOW, she makes it work!
Floating Hotel takes place on the Abeona, a hotel that is also a spaceship, so it floats through space. Don't expect a lot of technobabble -- the Abeona is determinedly retro-chic. For instance, the Abeona's messaging system is paper messages sent through pneumatic tubes. There are of course a whole bunch of people on the Abeona -- staff and guests.
Each chapter is told from the point of view of one of these characters, a different one each time. There is just one character who gets two chapters, and by the time that happens, you will be expecting it. This is much less confusing than it sounds. Each character mentions some of the other characters, just a few in the earliest chapters. Thus when one of those characters gets a chapter of their own, you're ready for it. I never found the story hard to follow.
It must be admitted, at the beginning I was not quite sure if there WAS a story. Because this story-telling approach is a slow way to introduce characters and setting, the first half is fairly slow. However, I came to see that a story had gradually crept up on me -- a mystery, in fact. And it was fun.
I would probably rate this a mere three stars were it not for the novel story-telling technique. I'm a Neophile, so I'm always intrigued to see something in a book that I haven't seen before. If you prefer the tried-and-true, you may not like Floating Hotel as much as I did.
Thanks to NetGalley and DAW for an advance reader copy of Floating Hotel. This review expresses my honest opinions.
Blog review.
You know those science fiction novels in which there are four point-of-view characters, and each character gets point of view for a chapter, then we move on to the next? (I think Gibson's Cyberspace trilogy was the first time I really noticed it.) You know how you never know quite what's going on, and it's all very confusing? Well, in Floating Hotel Grace Curtis takes it to the max, and SOMEHOW, she makes it work!
Floating Hotel takes place on the Abeona, a hotel that is also a spaceship, so it floats through space. Don't expect a lot of technobabble -- the Abeona is determinedly retro-chic. For instance, the Abeona's messaging system is paper messages sent through pneumatic tubes. There are of course a whole bunch of people on the Abeona -- staff and guests.
Each chapter is told from the point of view of one of these characters, a different one each time. There is just one character who gets two chapters, and by the time that happens, you will be expecting it. This is much less confusing than it sounds. Each character mentions some of the other characters, just a few in the earliest chapters. Thus when one of those characters gets a chapter of their own, you're ready for it. I never found the story hard to follow.
It must be admitted, at the beginning I was not quite sure if there WAS a story. Because this story-telling approach is a slow way to introduce characters and setting, the first half is fairly slow. However, I came to see that a story had gradually crept up on me -- a mystery, in fact. And it was fun.
I would probably rate this a mere three stars were it not for the novel story-telling technique. I'm a Neophile, so I'm always intrigued to see something in a book that I haven't seen before. If you prefer the tried-and-true, you may not like Floating Hotel as much as I did.
Thanks to NetGalley and DAW for an advance reader copy of Floating Hotel. This review expresses my honest opinions.
Blog review.
March 8, 2024
HIGHLIGHTS
~no one has a happy backstory
~secret sonnets
~a rebel propagandist
~cows as presents
~don’t judge this book by its cover
Let’s get one thing straight: this is not a cosy book. I don’t know why it’s being marketed as one – perhaps the publicity/marketing team had no more idea of what, exactly, this book is trying to be than I did.
Because what it is? Is kind of a mess.
And before we go any further, I want to let you know that Floating Hotel doesn’t have a happy ending. It’s one of those infuriating endings that tries to dress itself up as a happy or at least hopeful one, but is in fact pretty fucking tragic if you think about it for more than .2 seconds. It’s an ending that retroactively ruins any feel-good fuzzies the rest of the book managed to scrape together. (And it did not scrape together many.)
So if you’re looking for a nice cosy sci fi to curl up with…this isn’t it. Allow me to instead point you in the direction of Lovequake by TJ Land (Lovecraftian alien takes human form and adopts human and superhuman misfits) or perhaps Three Twins at the Crater School by Chaz Benchley (traditional English boarding school story but set on Mars) or Gail Carriger’s Tinkered Starsong series (forming a band in space). But absolutely, categorically not Floating Hotel.
Like Frontier, Curtis’ debut, Floating Hotel follows a different character with every chapter. Unlike in Frontier, most of these mini-stories don’t tie together into an overarching plotline; instead, each one is more of a flashback to how the character in question ended up working for, or visiting, the hotel, sometimes split between that flashback and what their life looks like now. The characters’ backstories are, to a one, pretty miserable, and the hotel is presented as an escape, a home for all these misfits – one they appreciate to varying degrees. Not everyone’s happy to be working in a hotel for what will presumably be the rest of their lives.
This had plenty of potential to be a very cosy book indeed, which might be one of the reasons I’m so annoyed with it – because instead, Floating Hotel reads like a book that doesn’t know what it’s trying to be. Let’s take the imperial spies mentioned in the blurb as an example. In a cosy story, the spies would probably be played for comedic effect; they might be useless, or completely on the wrong track, or essentially toothless. (…which is an unintentional pun, which you’ll recognise if you’ve read the book.) Instead, we have discussions of and see the aftermath of torture and murder, backed up by many, many mentions and reminders of how horrific the Empire is – and how useless and pointless trying to change things is.
…What part of that is cosy?
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway
~no one has a happy backstory
~secret sonnets
~a rebel propagandist
~cows as presents
~don’t judge this book by its cover
Let’s get one thing straight: this is not a cosy book. I don’t know why it’s being marketed as one – perhaps the publicity/marketing team had no more idea of what, exactly, this book is trying to be than I did.
Because what it is? Is kind of a mess.
And before we go any further, I want to let you know that Floating Hotel doesn’t have a happy ending. It’s one of those infuriating endings that tries to dress itself up as a happy or at least hopeful one, but is in fact pretty fucking tragic if you think about it for more than .2 seconds. It’s an ending that retroactively ruins any feel-good fuzzies the rest of the book managed to scrape together. (And it did not scrape together many.)
So if you’re looking for a nice cosy sci fi to curl up with…this isn’t it. Allow me to instead point you in the direction of Lovequake by TJ Land (Lovecraftian alien takes human form and adopts human and superhuman misfits) or perhaps Three Twins at the Crater School by Chaz Benchley (traditional English boarding school story but set on Mars) or Gail Carriger’s Tinkered Starsong series (forming a band in space). But absolutely, categorically not Floating Hotel.
Like Frontier, Curtis’ debut, Floating Hotel follows a different character with every chapter. Unlike in Frontier, most of these mini-stories don’t tie together into an overarching plotline; instead, each one is more of a flashback to how the character in question ended up working for, or visiting, the hotel, sometimes split between that flashback and what their life looks like now. The characters’ backstories are, to a one, pretty miserable, and the hotel is presented as an escape, a home for all these misfits – one they appreciate to varying degrees. Not everyone’s happy to be working in a hotel for what will presumably be the rest of their lives.
This had plenty of potential to be a very cosy book indeed, which might be one of the reasons I’m so annoyed with it – because instead, Floating Hotel reads like a book that doesn’t know what it’s trying to be. Let’s take the imperial spies mentioned in the blurb as an example. In a cosy story, the spies would probably be played for comedic effect; they might be useless, or completely on the wrong track, or essentially toothless. (…which is an unintentional pun, which you’ll recognise if you’ve read the book.) Instead, we have discussions of and see the aftermath of torture and murder, backed up by many, many mentions and reminders of how horrific the Empire is – and how useless and pointless trying to change things is.
…What part of that is cosy?
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway
September 29, 2023
This book has a unique structure, which is both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness: each chapter is told from the point of view of a different character, either a guest or a staff member of the Grand Abeona, a spaceship hotel orbiting around the galaxy, their stories interweaving and intersecting.
What's great about this is that for every reader there's at least one point of view character they'll enjoy reading about, but at the same time it's hard to get truly, deeply invested in anyone when so little space is devoted to each storyline. In this aspect the book would have benefitted from being longer, or from focusing on fewer characters.
I really liked the setting, both the hotel and the wider galaxy surrounding it - it felt well-drawn and realistic.
The book is a bit less cozy than I was originally expecting it to be: while the focus of the story is on hope and human connection, the stakes are high throughout, and it's set in an essentially dystopian future under a totalitarian government, with all that entails: murder, famine, death, the destruction of entire planets for the sake of harvesting resources... I would call this less cozy and more hopepunk. The world of the story is a place full of terrible darkness and injustice, but there is hope for a better future to be found in human connection, and in acts of kindness.
Overall, I enjoyed this very much, and I will be keeping an eye on future works by this author.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
What's great about this is that for every reader there's at least one point of view character they'll enjoy reading about, but at the same time it's hard to get truly, deeply invested in anyone when so little space is devoted to each storyline. In this aspect the book would have benefitted from being longer, or from focusing on fewer characters.
I really liked the setting, both the hotel and the wider galaxy surrounding it - it felt well-drawn and realistic.
The book is a bit less cozy than I was originally expecting it to be: while the focus of the story is on hope and human connection, the stakes are high throughout, and it's set in an essentially dystopian future under a totalitarian government, with all that entails: murder, famine, death, the destruction of entire planets for the sake of harvesting resources... I would call this less cozy and more hopepunk. The world of the story is a place full of terrible darkness and injustice, but there is hope for a better future to be found in human connection, and in acts of kindness.
Overall, I enjoyed this very much, and I will be keeping an eye on future works by this author.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
April 3, 2024
Hi! If you liked this book, you may enjoy the official character playlist. Presented here in order of apperance, excluding the interludes (sorry Reggie): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5jY...
That's all from me. Thanks for reading! Tip your servers!
That's all from me. Thanks for reading! Tip your servers!
March 25, 2024
The Abeona: a hotel in space, with an ensemble cast of crew and guests. They all have their own stories, most of which overlap to a greater or lesser extent: an amiable manager; an anonymous political dissident; a professor and a mathematician attending a conference; some imperial spies; a chef; staff members who have fallen from fame, and those that have joined the hotel from more chequered backgrounds.
To the extent that there is an overall story, it is told, chapter by chapter, from the varying perspectives of each of the characters - sometimes overlapping in time with each other, and sometimes carrying the story forward. These vignettes are almost like fully formed short stories of their own - with each character vividly drawn, and uniquely distinct. This layering of stories and characters gradually builds an intricate picture of the vibrant life on the hotel, while weaving in a few mysteries and a (very) small amount of jeopardy, as the plot ambles forward.
While it was nice to immerse myself in the life of the Abeona, the stucture of the book isn’t without its issues. The switch in point of view in every chapter was a little jarring until I got into the rhythm of it - the need to ‘reset’ to a new perspective at (almost) every chapter. Some of the characters that have a chapter devoted to their point of view play quite a minor role in the overall plot - so, while their backstories and relationships with other characters were engaging, I wonder how necessary their inclusion was. Some of the major characters had an emotional authenticity that I found quite poignant and moving (Angoulême being particularly memorable), and I would have liked to have explored their lives a little more.
This could have been a plot-driven book if it had gone into greater depth with the mysteries, imperial spies, and shady backstories - the material is certainly rich enough. But, for me, that’s not what this book is. The book is about the characters of the staff, the guests, and the Abeona itself. The resolution of the plot in the closing chapters successfully ties up all the loose ends and mysteries that had been developed throughout the story, although this did seem a little weak. But, for me, this didn’t really matter, as the overall plot was a vehicle to tell the stories of the individual characters - it’s just good form to give the story an ending.
Thank you #NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the free review copy of #FloatingHotel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
To the extent that there is an overall story, it is told, chapter by chapter, from the varying perspectives of each of the characters - sometimes overlapping in time with each other, and sometimes carrying the story forward. These vignettes are almost like fully formed short stories of their own - with each character vividly drawn, and uniquely distinct. This layering of stories and characters gradually builds an intricate picture of the vibrant life on the hotel, while weaving in a few mysteries and a (very) small amount of jeopardy, as the plot ambles forward.
While it was nice to immerse myself in the life of the Abeona, the stucture of the book isn’t without its issues. The switch in point of view in every chapter was a little jarring until I got into the rhythm of it - the need to ‘reset’ to a new perspective at (almost) every chapter. Some of the characters that have a chapter devoted to their point of view play quite a minor role in the overall plot - so, while their backstories and relationships with other characters were engaging, I wonder how necessary their inclusion was. Some of the major characters had an emotional authenticity that I found quite poignant and moving (Angoulême being particularly memorable), and I would have liked to have explored their lives a little more.
This could have been a plot-driven book if it had gone into greater depth with the mysteries, imperial spies, and shady backstories - the material is certainly rich enough. But, for me, that’s not what this book is. The book is about the characters of the staff, the guests, and the Abeona itself. The resolution of the plot in the closing chapters successfully ties up all the loose ends and mysteries that had been developed throughout the story, although this did seem a little weak. But, for me, this didn’t really matter, as the overall plot was a vehicle to tell the stories of the individual characters - it’s just good form to give the story an ending.
Thank you #NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the free review copy of #FloatingHotel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
June 3, 2024
A jewel thief, a former assistant, singers, rebels, and spies converge in a spaceship hotel that traverses the galaxy to meet its clientele. Floating Hotel is a genre-bending, distinctly period drama-esque romp through space with the most delightful crew of characters and past and present timelines. Like elements of a secret code, Curtis reassembles the past to make sense of the present as time winds down for the Grand Abeona Hotel. This feels like a cozy mystery with an intense heart as victims across planets desperately seek a new home in the face of an empire destroying worlds. I enjoyed filling in the pieces and its bittersweet final destination.
Thank you to Edelweiss for the review copy.
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Thank you to Edelweiss for the review copy.
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May 22, 2024
Fuck me upppp. Honestly, what a love letter written on hotel letterhead. What a devotion to the power of teams, found families, workers. The whole thing tinkled like a chandelier. This is why I read 40+ meh things a year. To find the thing that makes me feel like THIS. Anyway I loved this.
January 7, 2025
I think the marketing was really off for this one. It’s touted at a cozy science fiction mystery, but it rarely felt cozy. The mystery only started about halfway through, and then it took a dark turn.
My main complaint about this book is that there are about twelve character perspectives in a 280 page book. The formula went like this: intro the character, spend half the chapter with a flashback and then jump to the present timeline. Then rinse and repeat for the rest of the story.
It was hard to be connected to any one character when only one character’s perspective is repeated. It’s a one and done chapter and then they’re out. That could work in the right circumstances and with the right structure, but it felt so choppy and not cohesive.
The mystery itself was lackluster IMO. It was predictable, and I felt a bit let down as to the reason for the outcome at the end.
*Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the digital copy. All opinions are my own.
My main complaint about this book is that there are about twelve character perspectives in a 280 page book. The formula went like this: intro the character, spend half the chapter with a flashback and then jump to the present timeline. Then rinse and repeat for the rest of the story.
It was hard to be connected to any one character when only one character’s perspective is repeated. It’s a one and done chapter and then they’re out. That could work in the right circumstances and with the right structure, but it felt so choppy and not cohesive.
The mystery itself was lackluster IMO. It was predictable, and I felt a bit let down as to the reason for the outcome at the end.
*Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the digital copy. All opinions are my own.
March 31, 2024
Floating Hotel is part sci-fi, part mystery and part vignette, as you move from character to character, slowly piecing together the mystery happening aboard the Grand Abeona Hotel, a futuristic spaceship. This probably has the most POVs I've seen in a story, but as the majority of characters only appear from their own perspective once, this really works.
Each character comes from different walks of life, they're different ages, from different places and are various genders and sexualities and this made the story so interesting to read from each perspective. There were characters I really grew to love other the course of their chapters, and I was sad when their moment started to close.
I was worried when we hit the final chapter with no answers, but chose to trust the author. I made the right decision, as everything came to a close without feeling rushed, finally putting all the pieces together to make a complete picture. Frontier is very high on my want to read list after this!
Each character comes from different walks of life, they're different ages, from different places and are various genders and sexualities and this made the story so interesting to read from each perspective. There were characters I really grew to love other the course of their chapters, and I was sad when their moment started to close.
I was worried when we hit the final chapter with no answers, but chose to trust the author. I made the right decision, as everything came to a close without feeling rushed, finally putting all the pieces together to make a complete picture. Frontier is very high on my want to read list after this!
December 26, 2025
Apparently, I am old, because literally everything I have read in the past couple months is reminding me of something else. Or I've just reached that phase in my reading where it is broad enough to spark familiarity. In this case, I was very much reminded of A Gentleman in Moscow, science fiction version. It wanders through a multiple of perspectives, beginning, ending, and primarily centering on the manager of a hotel spaceship navigates a circular route through the Milky Way. Carl eventually became the manager of the Grand Abeona Hotel, elegant but showing its age.
"Afterward, when people asked why he’d run away to join the hotel, Carl would shrug and say, with the muted smile that became his trademark: 'It was love at first sight.'"
The first section feels a lot like a slice of life, meeting the various characters and getting a sense of the world. There's some stressors around the hotel aging, as well as an upcoming conference. To add to the tension, there's an Emperor of the Galaxy (more or less) and a journalist rebel that may or may not be at the hotel, deploying truth-telling missives into the galaxy. I liked this angle the least; it draws attention away from the individual characters into the meta-political setting without much context. It starts to feel like the author proselytizing over an organic story element.
"And then those elites, with the scars on their bellies barely healed, have the audacity to hoist up an apple and lecture their hungry subjects about their CHOICES! That is to say nothing of the Emperor, who so recently celebrated his 500th birthday, and accredits his long life to a happy quirk of MUTATION."
The story does best when it stays small and true to its cozy roots. Focusing on the people who work in the hotel and how they came to it--and get through their days--is the most enjoyable part.
"Every job in hospitality is the hardest job in hospitality. If you’re not physically exhausted at the end of the day, you’re emotionally wrung-out, or braindead from making too many decisions. Everyone looks at everyone else with envy, wishing they could smile more or think less or sit down from time to time."
The issue of mood became a significant challenges at the political plot evolves. Like many books that want to be cozy, it has trouble navigating the tension of antagonist and plot. The prolonged use of torture unhesitatingly removed it from the cozy vibe it had been developing.
Still, the writing is often decent. The vaguely arch tone is often amusing:
"Ooly knew that he’d never change his mind; all he needed was for his father to adjust to the name, which he did with time. People could do anything with enough time. That was one of Ooly’s core beliefs, along with Don’t judge by appearances and Everything has a reason, even if it’s a stupid reason."
It's definitely an imaginative, but does it tie everything together? Not quite. Re-readable? Probably. Recommended for people that like interconnected character studies.
For that reason, three and a half stars, rounding up.
"Afterward, when people asked why he’d run away to join the hotel, Carl would shrug and say, with the muted smile that became his trademark: 'It was love at first sight.'"
The first section feels a lot like a slice of life, meeting the various characters and getting a sense of the world. There's some stressors around the hotel aging, as well as an upcoming conference. To add to the tension, there's an Emperor of the Galaxy (more or less) and a journalist rebel that may or may not be at the hotel, deploying truth-telling missives into the galaxy. I liked this angle the least; it draws attention away from the individual characters into the meta-political setting without much context. It starts to feel like the author proselytizing over an organic story element.
"And then those elites, with the scars on their bellies barely healed, have the audacity to hoist up an apple and lecture their hungry subjects about their CHOICES! That is to say nothing of the Emperor, who so recently celebrated his 500th birthday, and accredits his long life to a happy quirk of MUTATION."
The story does best when it stays small and true to its cozy roots. Focusing on the people who work in the hotel and how they came to it--and get through their days--is the most enjoyable part.
"Every job in hospitality is the hardest job in hospitality. If you’re not physically exhausted at the end of the day, you’re emotionally wrung-out, or braindead from making too many decisions. Everyone looks at everyone else with envy, wishing they could smile more or think less or sit down from time to time."
The issue of mood became a significant challenges at the political plot evolves. Like many books that want to be cozy, it has trouble navigating the tension of antagonist and plot. The prolonged use of torture unhesitatingly removed it from the cozy vibe it had been developing.
Still, the writing is often decent. The vaguely arch tone is often amusing:
"Ooly knew that he’d never change his mind; all he needed was for his father to adjust to the name, which he did with time. People could do anything with enough time. That was one of Ooly’s core beliefs, along with Don’t judge by appearances and Everything has a reason, even if it’s a stupid reason."
It's definitely an imaginative, but does it tie everything together? Not quite. Re-readable? Probably. Recommended for people that like interconnected character studies.
For that reason, three and a half stars, rounding up.
June 3, 2025
Oh how I wanted to love Floating Hotel more than I did. It's a very inventive and unique cozy sci-fi space opera with a wonderfully diverse cast of characters, charming period drama-like vibes, and lots of intrigue and heart, but unfortunately I think this is a case of 'very strong premise, not my favourite execution'.
For me, the short story-esque vignette storytelling structure kept me from ever getting invested in any of the characters, despite the fact that they all have an intriguingly complex backstory and a ton of emotional depth. I really appreciated the diversity of the cast (both in terms of cultural/gender identity and sexuality), and I enjoyed seeing how their lives interweaved as some of the mysteries going on around their floating hotel/home unravelled throughout all the seperate chapters. Yet I have to admit that I ultimately just did not feel gripped by the overarching plot at any point.
Luckily the well-performed audiobook in combination with Curtis' effortlessly readable prose helped me fly through these pages despite my quibbles, and I would still definitely recommend Floating Hotel if you are in the mood for a diverse and cozy-ish sci-fi space opera in the vein of Becky Chambers, except with a more short story collection style to it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
For me, the short story-esque vignette storytelling structure kept me from ever getting invested in any of the characters, despite the fact that they all have an intriguingly complex backstory and a ton of emotional depth. I really appreciated the diversity of the cast (both in terms of cultural/gender identity and sexuality), and I enjoyed seeing how their lives interweaved as some of the mysteries going on around their floating hotel/home unravelled throughout all the seperate chapters. Yet I have to admit that I ultimately just did not feel gripped by the overarching plot at any point.
Luckily the well-performed audiobook in combination with Curtis' effortlessly readable prose helped me fly through these pages despite my quibbles, and I would still definitely recommend Floating Hotel if you are in the mood for a diverse and cozy-ish sci-fi space opera in the vein of Becky Chambers, except with a more short story collection style to it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
February 26, 2024
Oh boy, this was the messiest of mess and not in a good way.
I usually enjoy books which don’t have a plot, I’m all for the vibes, but this book has no plot and absolutely no vibes. I was so bored i thought I would DNF it so many times but I really didn’t want to because it’s an ARC. The writing is good but that’s pretty much it. Each character gets their own chapter and 1. There’s way too much back story, 2. It makes the story very choppy. Also in my opinion, it’s not found family, they’re barely colleagues. Finally, it was supposed to be a mystery and I think this part of the book was lost in outer space because where is it???
I usually enjoy books which don’t have a plot, I’m all for the vibes, but this book has no plot and absolutely no vibes. I was so bored i thought I would DNF it so many times but I really didn’t want to because it’s an ARC. The writing is good but that’s pretty much it. Each character gets their own chapter and 1. There’s way too much back story, 2. It makes the story very choppy. Also in my opinion, it’s not found family, they’re barely colleagues. Finally, it was supposed to be a mystery and I think this part of the book was lost in outer space because where is it???
December 5, 2024
3.5*
This was cute and cosy. The charm of a run-down luxury space cruise makes for a beautiful atmosphere - a bit like Grand Budapest Hotel.
Sadly, other things fell flat for me. I had the feeling that the characters weren't written as full-fledged humans but more like figures in a play, which barred me from fully relating to the characters. That doesn't mean that they weren't likeable, just a little shallow.
The plot started slowly, if a little random, then got a good bit more tense, only to end with loose threads and me being left with many question marks.
Overall, this was a quick, nice pallet cleanser that had much charm but fell a little short in the execution.
This was cute and cosy. The charm of a run-down luxury space cruise makes for a beautiful atmosphere - a bit like Grand Budapest Hotel.
Sadly, other things fell flat for me. I had the feeling that the characters weren't written as full-fledged humans but more like figures in a play, which barred me from fully relating to the characters. That doesn't mean that they weren't likeable, just a little shallow.
The plot started slowly, if a little random, then got a good bit more tense, only to end with loose threads and me being left with many question marks.
Overall, this was a quick, nice pallet cleanser that had much charm but fell a little short in the execution.
May 3, 2024
It took me a bit to really get into the story, but once I did, I was hooked! A very cozy scifi.
June 1, 2025
[3.5 Stars]
Picked this up for the PopSugar Reading challenge "Space Tourism" prompt. I would not have picked this up if not for the challenge, and this is one case where I'm really glad I did. I really appreciated the character study of each of the main protagonists. There was a good underlying mystery at play with who was publishing secret opinions on the empire called "the Lamplighter dispatches" - some of the characters had hard back stories and all had such interesting details fleshed out, it was such a delight to watch them all interact with each other.
I think this could've worked better for me had their been a few less characters to pay attention to, and there were a few too many plot points that I didn't feel were needed to move the plot along. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this one, and would pick up other books by this author.
Picked this up for the PopSugar Reading challenge "Space Tourism" prompt. I would not have picked this up if not for the challenge, and this is one case where I'm really glad I did. I really appreciated the character study of each of the main protagonists. There was a good underlying mystery at play with who was publishing secret opinions on the empire called "the Lamplighter dispatches" - some of the characters had hard back stories and all had such interesting details fleshed out, it was such a delight to watch them all interact with each other.
I think this could've worked better for me had their been a few less characters to pay attention to, and there were a few too many plot points that I didn't feel were needed to move the plot along. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this one, and would pick up other books by this author.
April 7, 2024
The description of Floating Hotel overtly likens it to The Grand Budapest Hotel, and this comparison is both correct and compelling. Recreating the same tragicomic balance with her wandering space hotel, Grace Curtis takes this story places I didn’t expect it to go. Simultaneously heartwarming and heartwrenching, this is a book about doing what you love—and then saying goodbye to what you love. I received a copy in exchange for a review.
Carl is the manager of the Grand Abeona Hotel. This spacecraft makes a circuit of the known galaxy, taking on new guests for a system or two, hosting conferences, etc. Populated by a quirky cast of misfits and the occasional malcontent, the hotel is renowned and beloved by many, yet behind the scenes it has seen better days. The book follows Carl and several employees and guests in a series of interwoven plots, culminating in a confrontation that threatens the survival not only of Carl and his guests but of the Grand Abeona itself.
Curtis is skilled at a kind of shorthand with characterization, and the structure of this novel serves that well. At first, I was annoyed that I didn’t learn more about Carl immediately, didn’t get more of his backstory with Nina and how he came of age aboard the hotel. However, Curtis quickly won me over. With each chapter and each new viewpoint character there is a new opportunity to learn about the hotel through their eyes. I’m not exaggerating when I say that each character’s story has sufficient depth to be its own novel (or at least novella). Although Curtis returns to some of them throughout the novel, others only have a brief moment in the spotlight, and it always felt bittersweet to swipe left and say goodbye.
There are several intersecting mysteries at the heart of this novel. None of them by themselves are particularly deep or intricate. Whether it’s the identity of the Lamplighter or the nature of the mysterious message investigated by the Problem Solvers conference, I thought the solutions were fairly obvious from the start. However, that’s OK—the mysteries themselves are kind of beside the point, for the real reward here is the immersion in the setting and the characters who populate it. The vibe reminds me a lot of Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series, though less cozy than quirky.
Indeed, the transformation in tone that this book undergoes is perhaps the most enjoyable thing about it. When I reached the chapter with the spies, when there was a scene with the bathtub, I realized this story was turning serious. From there, each chapter turned up the tension, yet the book overall never lost its charm and wit. Once again, a delightful sense of balance infuses Curtis’s writing. After several heavier books—many of which I enjoyed—Floating Hotel managed to be exactly what I needed.
Although I easily guessed the resolution of most of the mysteries, I was surprised by how the book itself ends—and I’m happy about that. Without spoilers, let’s just say that I expected Carl to come up with a very different plan from the one he ends up implementing. I expected something … perhaps more trite, more storybook? And instead, Curtis reminds us that sometimes the only way to win is not to play the game. It would be harsh if it weren’t also so hopeful: this book is a reminder that no matter what you lose, no matter what happens, your life goes on and you can always move forward. You’ll be different, that’s for sure, but you can move forward.
This is a sweet, sometimes sad, always entertaining novel. Highly recommend for people who want some soft, creative, and satisfying science fiction.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews.
Carl is the manager of the Grand Abeona Hotel. This spacecraft makes a circuit of the known galaxy, taking on new guests for a system or two, hosting conferences, etc. Populated by a quirky cast of misfits and the occasional malcontent, the hotel is renowned and beloved by many, yet behind the scenes it has seen better days. The book follows Carl and several employees and guests in a series of interwoven plots, culminating in a confrontation that threatens the survival not only of Carl and his guests but of the Grand Abeona itself.
Curtis is skilled at a kind of shorthand with characterization, and the structure of this novel serves that well. At first, I was annoyed that I didn’t learn more about Carl immediately, didn’t get more of his backstory with Nina and how he came of age aboard the hotel. However, Curtis quickly won me over. With each chapter and each new viewpoint character there is a new opportunity to learn about the hotel through their eyes. I’m not exaggerating when I say that each character’s story has sufficient depth to be its own novel (or at least novella). Although Curtis returns to some of them throughout the novel, others only have a brief moment in the spotlight, and it always felt bittersweet to swipe left and say goodbye.
There are several intersecting mysteries at the heart of this novel. None of them by themselves are particularly deep or intricate. Whether it’s the identity of the Lamplighter or the nature of the mysterious message investigated by the Problem Solvers conference, I thought the solutions were fairly obvious from the start. However, that’s OK—the mysteries themselves are kind of beside the point, for the real reward here is the immersion in the setting and the characters who populate it. The vibe reminds me a lot of Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series, though less cozy than quirky.
Indeed, the transformation in tone that this book undergoes is perhaps the most enjoyable thing about it. When I reached the chapter with the spies, when there was a scene with the bathtub, I realized this story was turning serious. From there, each chapter turned up the tension, yet the book overall never lost its charm and wit. Once again, a delightful sense of balance infuses Curtis’s writing. After several heavier books—many of which I enjoyed—Floating Hotel managed to be exactly what I needed.
Although I easily guessed the resolution of most of the mysteries, I was surprised by how the book itself ends—and I’m happy about that. Without spoilers, let’s just say that I expected Carl to come up with a very different plan from the one he ends up implementing. I expected something … perhaps more trite, more storybook? And instead, Curtis reminds us that sometimes the only way to win is not to play the game. It would be harsh if it weren’t also so hopeful: this book is a reminder that no matter what you lose, no matter what happens, your life goes on and you can always move forward. You’ll be different, that’s for sure, but you can move forward.
This is a sweet, sometimes sad, always entertaining novel. Highly recommend for people who want some soft, creative, and satisfying science fiction.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews.
March 20, 2024
3.5*
So Floating Hotel was a quiet, cozier sort of mystery, set in an interstellar space hotel. Cool, right? And it was all of those things! I liked the mystery, I adored the idea of the hotel itself, and I enjoyed the overall concept. Perhaps there were a few too many points of view for my liking, because it was harder to connect to the characters when we were constantly switching among them. That said, there were definitely some characters I enjoyed, so that was good!
There are, as the synopsis suggests, quite a few secrets to unfurl during the story, and mysteries to uncover. Still, it remains a quieter tale, even when the stakes are high. I wasn't exactly on the edge of my seat, but I didn't want to give up on it either. Obviously, the fact that this giant hotel is in space, in the middle of nowhere, ups the ante, so that certainly helped set the stage and the atmosphere, which was on point.
Bottom Line: Cozy and mysterious at once, this story featured a lot of characters and mysteries without being too dark, but appropriately atmospheric.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
So Floating Hotel was a quiet, cozier sort of mystery, set in an interstellar space hotel. Cool, right? And it was all of those things! I liked the mystery, I adored the idea of the hotel itself, and I enjoyed the overall concept. Perhaps there were a few too many points of view for my liking, because it was harder to connect to the characters when we were constantly switching among them. That said, there were definitely some characters I enjoyed, so that was good!
There are, as the synopsis suggests, quite a few secrets to unfurl during the story, and mysteries to uncover. Still, it remains a quieter tale, even when the stakes are high. I wasn't exactly on the edge of my seat, but I didn't want to give up on it either. Obviously, the fact that this giant hotel is in space, in the middle of nowhere, ups the ante, so that certainly helped set the stage and the atmosphere, which was on point.
Bottom Line: Cozy and mysterious at once, this story featured a lot of characters and mysteries without being too dark, but appropriately atmospheric.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
September 10, 2023
4.5/5 Stars
I want to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Y'know when a blurb advertises a book as "perfect for fans of Becky Chambers", I feel it is my duty to read it and see for myself. This one? Oh yes.
Safe to say it's easy to see where the comparison comes from, but Floating Hotel has its own very unique charm. The story is told through a dozen characters as focalizers and, even though each of them has their own story to tell (which they do) and their own little plot to work on, they also keep building the story of this space hotel as a big cohesive group. There are characters you'll hate, those you'll love, any everything in between. The book goes deep emotionally but since it is rather short and has so many different perspectives, it goes deep very fast instead of with the long build-up like a Becky Chambers book.
Nonetheless, this made me laugh and tear up and restore a little hope in humanity. And that's all you can want from a book.
I want to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Y'know when a blurb advertises a book as "perfect for fans of Becky Chambers", I feel it is my duty to read it and see for myself. This one? Oh yes.
Every job in hospitality is the hardest job in hospitality.
Safe to say it's easy to see where the comparison comes from, but Floating Hotel has its own very unique charm. The story is told through a dozen characters as focalizers and, even though each of them has their own story to tell (which they do) and their own little plot to work on, they also keep building the story of this space hotel as a big cohesive group. There are characters you'll hate, those you'll love, any everything in between. The book goes deep emotionally but since it is rather short and has so many different perspectives, it goes deep very fast instead of with the long build-up like a Becky Chambers book.
SHOOT FOR THE MOON! EVEN IF YOU MISS, YOU'LL LAND AMONG THE STARS!
Nonetheless, this made me laugh and tear up and restore a little hope in humanity. And that's all you can want from a book.
April 3, 2024
3.5 rounding up. This is a very sweet premise. A floating intergalactic hotel with staff and passengers that have become like family. Each chapter is a POV from a new character so we get their history and then their current predicament. I love the idea but I don’t think it was executed to its full potential. It needed a stronger story to tie it all together and every POV felt rushed because it was trying to do too much. I love the creativity so I’ll definitely look for more work from this author.
April 3, 2024
The Grand Abeona Hotel is a luxury establishment that travels in a year-long circuit of the Milky Way, stopping at certain planets along the way. Its staff come from throughout the galaxy, and is made up of runaways, misfits, and malcontents; nonetheless, the Abeona is known for its exemplary service, wonderful food and fantastic views.
Carl arrived on board when young, and never returned to his home planet.(He would not have been able to anyway, as its resources were stripped and environment destroyed to fee the ever-hungry Empire.) The then Manager, Nina Windrose, took Carl in, and over the years Carl worked most staff positions, and rose to the level of Manager after Nina’s death.
Their clientele is typically wealthy, but every year there is a conference held aboard; this year The Problem-Solvers’ Conference are meeting and staff is busy getting ready for the influx of academics. The purpose of this year's conference is secretive, with professors having to sigh NDAs so they can solve a strange code whose purpose and origin is not revealed.
The Abeona is also, by nature of its guests and circuit through the galaxy, home also to plots, intrigues and espionage, with Imperial spies regularly travelling along with regular guests.
Author Grace Curtis focuses on several characters, devoting alternating chapters to their perspectives, and through these we see the workings of the hotel, as well as the thoughts of some of the guests. Curtis also intersperses the narrative with subversive dispatches from the Lamplighter, who questions and points out problems with the 500-year-old Emperor, who stifles all dissent and questions, including the idea that there could ever be any kind of life other than human (not even single-celled) in the galaxy. Imperial spies currently on board are convinced that one of the staff is the Lamplighter, and are eager to apprehend the person.
We gradually get the sense that there may be merit to the Imperials' belief, and that the Professors' work on the code may be pointing to some uncomfortable truths about the basis of the empire.
I greatly enjoyed this novel and its quirky cast. I was charmed by the humour, gentle emotions (despite a few grisly scenes), and the kindness exuded by Carl to everyone. In turn, the profiled staff members each had interesting, and in some cases tragic, backgrounds, but managed to work together fairly harmoniously, despite the emotional baggage each carried.
I was a little surprised by one of the reveals, however, as I wasn't sure that there had been quite enough groundwork laid for it, but this is a relatively small complaint. I loved the atmosphere Curtis created, and I came to care a lot about Carl, Uwade, and Professor Mara Azad, and the fate of them and the floating hotel.
Thank you to Netgalley and to DAW for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Carl arrived on board when young, and never returned to his home planet.(He would not have been able to anyway, as its resources were stripped and environment destroyed to fee the ever-hungry Empire.) The then Manager, Nina Windrose, took Carl in, and over the years Carl worked most staff positions, and rose to the level of Manager after Nina’s death.
Their clientele is typically wealthy, but every year there is a conference held aboard; this year The Problem-Solvers’ Conference are meeting and staff is busy getting ready for the influx of academics. The purpose of this year's conference is secretive, with professors having to sigh NDAs so they can solve a strange code whose purpose and origin is not revealed.
The Abeona is also, by nature of its guests and circuit through the galaxy, home also to plots, intrigues and espionage, with Imperial spies regularly travelling along with regular guests.
Author Grace Curtis focuses on several characters, devoting alternating chapters to their perspectives, and through these we see the workings of the hotel, as well as the thoughts of some of the guests. Curtis also intersperses the narrative with subversive dispatches from the Lamplighter, who questions and points out problems with the 500-year-old Emperor, who stifles all dissent and questions, including the idea that there could ever be any kind of life other than human (not even single-celled) in the galaxy. Imperial spies currently on board are convinced that one of the staff is the Lamplighter, and are eager to apprehend the person.
We gradually get the sense that there may be merit to the Imperials' belief, and that the Professors' work on the code may be pointing to some uncomfortable truths about the basis of the empire.
I greatly enjoyed this novel and its quirky cast. I was charmed by the humour, gentle emotions (despite a few grisly scenes), and the kindness exuded by Carl to everyone. In turn, the profiled staff members each had interesting, and in some cases tragic, backgrounds, but managed to work together fairly harmoniously, despite the emotional baggage each carried.
I was a little surprised by one of the reveals, however, as I wasn't sure that there had been quite enough groundwork laid for it, but this is a relatively small complaint. I loved the atmosphere Curtis created, and I came to care a lot about Carl, Uwade, and Professor Mara Azad, and the fate of them and the floating hotel.
Thank you to Netgalley and to DAW for this ARC in exchange for my review.
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